Houthis Target Southern Saudi Arabia as Riyadh Airport Prepares to Reopen

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Yemen’s Houthi movement launched a series of attacks across southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the kingdom prepared to partially reopen Riyadh’s international airport following a two-week closure linked to repeated strikes. Saudi-led military coalition forces said they had intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles, while alerts warning of potential attacks were activated across parts of the kingdom’s south.

Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Iran-backed Houthis, has faced repeated attacks in recent weeks as fighting intensifies following the collapse of a years-long truce.

“The bombardment has been very heavy since this morning,” a resident of Khamis Mushait told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity, describing explosions that shook the area.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh announced that flights would resume on Sunday after a two-week suspension. However, the extent of the airport’s operational capacity remained unclear. The airport has been among the targets of repeated Houthi attacks. An earlier strike this month reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300, making it the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, according to the supplied report.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that the airport remained unsafe and described it as a military target.In a statement, Saree warned international, regional and domestic airlines, as well as airport employees and passengers, against using King Khalid International Airport. He said Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for the consequences of any operations there. The warning raised further concerns over aviation safety as authorities prepared to resume flights.

Early Sunday, AFP journalists in Riyadh heard three explosions as residents received alerts warning of a possible hostile aerial threat and urging them to seek shelter. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh and two drones in the capital region. Later in the morning, the coalition reported intercepting a cruise missile directed at Khamis Mushait, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Additional alerts were issued in areas including Abha, Taif, Namas and Jazan, suggesting that the threat extended across several parts of the kingdom. The Houthis said they had targeted three Saudi airports within 24 hours, along with energy facilities, a pipeline and an air base. Those claims were not independently verified in the supplied report.

Saudi civil defense officials said on Saturday that authorities had responded to falling debris in the Mecca and Medina regions after two missiles were intercepted. The Houthis denied targeting the two cities, which are Islam’s holiest sites, describing the Saudi account as false. The conflicting statements underscored the difficulty of independently establishing the full scope and precise targets of the attacks amid the escalating conflict.

The escalation has also affected Yemen itself. The Houthis said they had launched attacks on the southern port city of Aden, the temporary seat of the Saudi-backed government, targeting a naval base and a military camp overseen by Saudi forces. The developments follow a major Houthi offensive last month in which the group reportedly expanded its control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The renewed fighting has further destabilized the region, raising concerns about maritime security, energy infrastructure and the wider economic impact of the conflict.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest crude oil exporter, and attacks on energy facilities and transport infrastructure have raised concerns about potential disruptions to oil supplies and commercial activity. Repeated strikes have also affected airlines, businesses and residents while adding pressure to the kingdom’s efforts to attract international investment and expand tourism under its economic diversification agenda.

With Riyadh’s airport preparing to resume at least some operations, the security situation remains uncertain. Further developments will depend on the scale of the attacks, the effectiveness of air defenses and whether diplomatic efforts can prevent a broader regional escalation.